Search

Favourite restaurants, like old friends, are a joy to visit. No sooner than having stepped over the threshold, you slip back into your old ways, entering into an instant rapport that only the familiar faces of front of house favourites and an intimate atmosphere can bring. Soon forgotten are the thrills and spills (in my exceptionally graceless case) of chasing down new gastronomic experiences or uncovering the latest food trend. You’ve arrived back at your third place, wallowing in the safe and easy comfort that whiling away a few hours there easily affords.

The Blue Pig

Uncle Sam’s Chop House does it for me, every time. The Mark Addy too, before it finally shut up shop, its musty halls and man-sized portions sadly never to be overcome again. Rich, hearty foods, generous of portion and dripping in Northern tradition call to me when I tire of hearing about another effing barbecue joint coming to “save our city”, or the ceaseless wave of chain burger bars capitalising on an already realised trend, clogging up arteries and available restaurant space that could be put to far more worthy calorific causes. Sigh.

Meat and gravy ensconced in suet will do it pretty much every time for me, though a monolithic platter of meat and cheese, washed down with a fruity bottle of red never fails to have me feeling right at home. Hence why The Blue Pig always remained a firm favourite, since an early doors review following its August opening last year. A comprehensive deli board and conspicuously continental menu – all around their unique ‘333’ concept entailing three options of three set courses for just £20 – this Parisian inspired space provided an ideal place in which to shrink away as NQ life rushed by.

The Blue Pig Deli Board

Seemingly the three courses idea didn’t catch on, as early this year, they dropped the concept and pared back to a selection of crowd-pleasing dishes. Classic ploughman’s, steaks and salad dishes now feature, not to mention the ever ubiquitous burger, of which The Blue Pig has its own take, naturellement. Sadly, alongside the demise of 333, the once bright lights of the deli counter have faded too, with only a few select dips, meat and cheese choices available to make up a miserly board, though thankfully the bread selection is pretty decent, still.

Duck Salad

Despite the turnabout face, the most admirable of The Blue Pig’s qualities is its commitment to buying local. Meat is sourced from the ever present W H Frosts of Chorlton, and the deli board is a roll call of legendary British dairy, including the blue cheese behemoth that is Cropwell Bishop. The ingredients used can’t be faulted, nor the cooking. An Asian-inspired noodle salad, complete with tender fall apart duck breast on a bed of umami rich greens was soon devoured, as was the Wagyu beef burger, complete with a well-balanced slick of wasabi mayo, thankfully all impeccably cooked.

Wagyu Beef Burger

Most disappointing, however, is the homogenisation of the new menu. When the rest of Manchester’s hospitality industry is stepping up its game and differentiating, why step back and serve up sexed up pub classics, when the venue and concept lends itself beautifully to a Parisian bistro that Manchester could (and would) make great use of. The renewed emphasis on the back bar has weighed heavily on the uninspiring menu, and turned this once conspiratorial environment into just another convivial NQ drinking den.

With more ‘me too’ venues popping up around Manchester to mirror those leading the way, combined with a city wide trend for eclectic menu compositions – essentially stealing the best of each culture’s cuisine – in attempting to stand for everything, these unimaginative establishments in the long run will appeal to no one. As new and unique movers and shakers make a name for themselves and the well-loved old establishments continue to pull in their loyal patrons, the middle ground is no place to be. Shame on The Blue Pig. They can do much better.

Food trends can get pretty tiresome, no? Even if you personally called the latest fad to topple dude food, or find yourself basking in the glow of uncovering the contender to Simon Rogan’s crown – smug sensibilities aside – you will inevitably suffer the indignity of seeing your find trampled upon by every food nerd in town, followed by a spate of pretenders springing up to steal your prize discovery’s sunlight…

Seasons Eatings January Supperclub Menu

Green Shoots

Not emotions ever experienced by me, you understand. An eternal late bloomer, I’m far too rooted in (read weighed down by) last year’s fried chicken trend to outpace this country’s ever-evolving victual vogues, and living in Manchester, have needed peer no further than my Twitter feed to keep abreast of original ideas from our fair capital taking seed in our increasingly food obsessed city.

Marmite Butter and Trove Baguette

Of late though, it seems a spring awakening is occurring in our little corner of the North. Green shoots in the form of undiscovered cooks, inventive little food producers and the occasional lesser spotted food concept – we’re nurturing home-grown talent which has real potential to blossom into something beautiful. All quite exciting, really, but how to find them?

Pastures New

Having eschewed overly conceptualised restaurant openings and corporately sponsored food festivals of late, I started trawling local markets, and keen to get away from the foodie rent-a-crowd, stalking supper club owners on Twitter. Street food stalls, off-the-beaten-track eateries and food clubs have all been on the agenda, with each and every one providing shiny new eating experiences in abundance (and not a Manchester Confidential critic in sight).

Beef and Rye

How else would I have gotten to try Colombian street food if it wasn’t for the street-side ministrations of Arepa! Arepa! or understood the true potential of bacon if Bobby’s Bangers (of Levy Market fame) hadn’t cured it in marmite. It’s this new crop of food markets, home-hosted supper clubs and street food festivals that enables the more adventurous foodies of our fair city to set out their stall for minimal outlay, and the rest of us to feast anew.

Seasons Eatings

Most brilliantly, it allows producers to tweak recipes and chefs to shape their style over many months, all whilst building a following, which is exactly what the gifted ladies of Seasons Eatings have been doing. Since I first encountered them late last year at their supper club promoted through MFDF, they’ve blossomed from a monthly event rooted in the ambient surroundings of Trove to more regular appearances at North Star Deli in Chorlton and the fabulous Fig + Sparrow in town.

Brill and Clam

Determined to nurture their own style, between them having worked in everything from city restaurants to private yachts, Issy and Suzy’s use of unusual, seasonal ingredients gathered in and around Manchester isn’t anything new, but their execution is. Toying with techniques to best showcase flavour, the girls’ keen palates and deftness of touch makes for dishes which allow big hitting ingredients to shine, all whilst bringing together beautifully the composite textures and tastes across the plate. Budding talent, indeed.

Budding Talent

At the supper club I attended in January, two dishes truly shone. First up, the starter of rich, raw beef fillet served on crisp rye bread, expertly balanced by the sweet tang of pickled shallots and flecked with olive oil powder, all of which emulsified and spread the earthy, piquant flavours featured in the most mouth-watering way.

Rosemary, Praline, Artichoke and Orange

The rosemary ice cream served on a sesame praline inspired most awe, however. The fragrant, herby flavours paired beautifully with the nutty, umami rich base, making for an intensely moreish few mouthfuls. Sadly, the accompanying artichoke and white chocolate mousse failed to see the unique flavours come through, though the use of blood orange fruit and jelly unified the dish texturally, and introduced much needed sweetness as a foil for the creaminess of the dessert.

Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Black Pepper Marshmallow

Home-made marmite butter slathered over a freshly baked Trove baguette to open, pillow soft vanilla and black pepper marshmallows served with coffee and a fruity, rum based Campari cocktail to whet our appetites before the main, even the punctuating dishes and drinks served packed a mean punch, constantly keeping you keen for the next dish (or supper club, should you sadly find yourself at the end of the meal).

Fresh Flavours

More often than not, Season’s Eatings ingenious use of ingredients works wonderfully, and reading their Twitter feed – the only place they post pictures and detail their upcoming events – continue to become more bold and inventive as feedback pours in and more people shout about their food. Its people like Issy and Suzy who are keeping our food scene fresh, rather than buy into the same old food trends creeping up from London. Who needs another dirty burger, anyway?

So, you heard it here people, (though not first, naturally). Loathe as I am to share, for fear of never getting a seat at the table again, their next supper club at Trove is on 03 April 2014. Don’t all rush at once, now…

I love and loathe January in equal measure. Nothing is more tedious than hearing people wax lyrical about the paces they’re putting their digestive system through, and how their John Wayne style walk is everything to do with the squats they did last night and absolutely nothing to do with the festive chafe they’re still experiencing. The only things more tedious is dieting itself, and whilst I never partake fully in the mass January purge, I do love to indulge in a little resolution making, setting out my stall for the things I want to experience and enjoy throughout the year.

Life is just too short (and dieting largely unsuccessful) to strip away the small and consistent pleasures that food brings, which is how I found myself at a supper club before January’s joys and miseries were barely off the mark. The fact that frequenting the supper clubs of Manchester sits high on my New Year to do list is no coincidence, and happens to be one of the happy – and hopefully very achievable – habits I hope to keep.

Supper Club – Sale Style

A supper club, I believe, is the perfect way in which to enjoy food. Blogging last year saw me chasing down sparkly new restaurants or hovering round canapé tables fighting my fellow fat-fingered bloggers for the remaining Char Sui Bao. Constantly taking pictures or circling a room is in no way conducive to meeting people and having a lovely conversation over a delicious meal or socially relaxing bottle of wine – one of the main reasons I set up shop in the first place. Supper clubs, on the other hand, afford that very experience, and for that alone, I love them.

The Drunken Butcher

Cue the Drunken Butcher, who is fast becoming a stalwart of the Manchester supper club scene. Having first stumbled across him at a pop up down at The Liquorists gaffe, where his meaty inclinations met the bar consultant’s proclivity to create beautifully paired cocktails, I quickly fell in love with his porkfiteroles (cough) and found myself determined to taste more. Over a year later, after many informal soirees at his Sale-based gaffe and testing out each and every one of his kitchen gadgets, I was invited along to see what wonders could be conjured with his latest toy, a sous vide.*

Sous Vide Mackerel with Apple and Lovage Puree

Having previously feasted on deep fried tempura battered bacon and heavily smoked saddle of venison courtesy of Iain’s (his actual name) tinkering, a noticeable step change took place in our meat-obsessed friend’s output. The water bath method of cooking turned our dear butcher tender, and the usual blood lust that accompanies the generous meat mountains that Iain lays out was replaced by a seven course supper of (mostly) fish, elegantly plated and served to me and the seven other food fans and bloggers in situ.

Sous Vide Super Power

Fresh fillet of mackerel with apple and lovage puree fell apart lovingly, and the sous vide treatment afforded the meaty monk fish and sea bass main – swimming (soz) in a heavily reduced fish soup served with a refreshingly light lemon and fennel salad – a luscious melt in the mouth quality. Duck breast, scored then seasoned and cooked slowly for four hours at 54°C, shows just how tender and flavoursome this style of cooking renders its ingredients, lightly seared and plated with a rich Cavolo Nero sauce to finish up.

Sous Vide Duck Breast and Cavolo Nero Sauce

Iain’s truly distinctive style shone in the home-cured smoked salmon, contrasted beautifully with a tart cider apple brandy and a little heat from the accompanying horseradish sauce. The applewood smoke permeated the Kilner jar it was presented in, administered using another nifty tool from the sous vide range, and made for a potent, intensely moreish pot of food, though no more so than the duck confit, which couldn’t have been more Drunken Butcher than if he’d lasered his logo on it.

Home Cured Smoked Salmon with Apple Cider Brandy

Duck leg, salted for 24 hours then vac packed with goose fat (hurrah) and constantly cooked at precisely 63.5°C for up to 48 hours – all before roasting (to reheat), shredding and topping with mash – made for the cleanest yet most disgustingly decadent duck confit I’ve ever experienced. Meat cooked confit this way would see me the happiest and most lard-arsed lady ‘til the end of my days, and if weren’t for the threat to our most beloved NHS, I’d give it a damn good go.

To Sous Vide or not to Sous Vide?

Delicate, wholly flavoursome on account of cooking in its own juices and brightly hued due to the gentle application of constant heat, without doubt, sous vide turns out its ingredients beautifully, and in the hands of someone as creative (and talented at sauces) as The Drunken Butcher, makes the food fun to eat and wantonly moreish too.

Sous Vide Confit Duck

Would I want to spend precious meeting and eating time working out it takes an hour and a half to make a custard base at 80°C – as mastered for our spiced red wine poached pear dessert with home-made cinnamon ice cream – or sous vide a piece of rib eye steak that then required finishing off as traditional in the pan? No, even if the beef had given up all resistance to canine intervention, and the smoothness of the ice cream rendered dessert a dream.*

Life might be too short to sous vide too, it turns out, but never too short to go supper club (or restaurant) where they make good use of one.

* I wouldn’t mind that Polyscience smoking gun though. I have my heart set on home-made smoky old fashioneds, people, and lo and behold, I have a birthday coming up (hint, hint).

Iain was gifted his the smoking gun by industry suppliers Sous Vide Tools (already being in possession of a sous vide). The food was not gifted, and like the good bloggers we all are, admirably coughed up for the delicious food Iain waited around an age to cook. We were grateful; Iain was remunerated. All is well in the world.

How, when food waste is a massive issue, are we seeing people across the world struggle to eat?

Other people have written far more eloquently about the issues in the UK than I ever could, and from a far more understanding perspective – see North South Food examine the issues driving the rise in food banks and Jack Monroe’s blog detailing her life on the breadline – but from my incredibly fortunate position, eating out at least twice a week, having a fully stocked fridge and (like most people) throwing out a yellow headed stem of broccoli on a weekly basis, it’s quite evident I can do better, and most certainly give back more.

Food Cycle

There are many great initiatives out there, from ideological campaigns like Live Below the Line to big brands like Kelloggs supporting school breakfast clubs (difficult as may be to see this as entirely altruistic gesture), but the most impactful organisation I’ve come across is FoodCycle, which…

“…builds communities by combining volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create nutritious meals for people at risk from food poverty and social isolation.”

Started back in 2008, it provides a free sit down meals for the 4 million people affected by food poverty in the UK, (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2000) and more than 500,000 people accessing food banks (Walking The Breadline 2013), in the process cleverly tackling several major social issues through one nifty initiative with four main aims.

Building stronger communities and reducing social isolation through communal dining

Empowering volunteers to develop skills and creating positive social change in their communities

Through making use of food that would otherwise go to waste from supermarkets, drawing on the time and skills of volunteers to cook and feed people in need of a hot, healthy meal, Food Cycle are bringing people together from all walks of life through food, and helping develop the skills of people wanting to get back into gainful employment.

Helping Out

Needless to say really, but I fricking love FoodCycle. It’s such a neat, impactful idea that benefits so many people – over 73,000 meals serves and 74,000kg of food reclaimed to date – and tackles so many prevalent social issues, it’s impossible not to admire the work or be inspired to get involved.

So, whilst time poor and not always available to help out directly and volunteer at the Manchester Food Cycle Hub, I am (slightly more) cash rich, so have started donating to FoodCycle on a monthly basis, and having a big gob and a food blog to back it up, can write about it and the great work they do. This October’s campaign is the perfect place to start…

Food Cycle Tip or Tweet Campaign

The basic premise of the campaign is that restaurants, using FoodCycle Tip or Tweet donation vouchers, encourage diners to make donations to FoodCycle throughout October in the run up to Halloween. Super simple, and a very easy way to get gluttons like me to give back, and to get the hospitality industry – another major part of the food landscape and significant contributors to the food waste issue too – to get involved in supporting food poverty initiatives.

Initial support for the campaign on Twitter started some debate, highlighting (quite rightfully) the concern that tips would be diverted from serving staff who use the money to supplement their (often meagre) restaurant salary. Whilst I’d be happy to both tip the staff and donate, I’m in a fortunate position.

Restaurants getting involved will know best whether its customers would be likely to both tip and donate, and if staff support for the campaign might seem a barrier to entry, there’s always the option to encourage people to tweet about @foodcycle, and raise awareness for the charity instead. A few London restaurants are already involved in the campaign, with more lined up in the run up to Halloween to raise awareness and money.

So, which Manchester restaurants would you like to see support the Tip or Tweet campaign? Are you a restaurant that would like to get involved, or a (similarly greedy and guilt laden) blogger with an audience and feel inspired to write or tweet about the campaign? All the information you need is here.

* $1.25 in the US, which is held as the global marker for the extreme poverty line.

Cue mass devastation and weeping, people. Manchester Food and Drink Festival is ready to wrap up for another year, and Albert Square will become a desolate wasteland, sadly devoid of the food, booze and live music we have become accustomed to of late. I’ll soon be back to scouring street food festivals to get my Chaat Cart dosa fix, and bumming around the glut of beer festivals across the North West for the next few months, but until then (and the Manchester Christmas markets, of course) there’s always the memories…

Seasons Eatings Autumn Supperclub at Trove(Wednesday 02 October)

Every year, without fail, the festival gifts me something new. A Manchester venue I’ve never visited before, a cider producer I wasn’t aware existed or a type of street food which becomes an on-going obsession. This year has proved no different, and quite frankly, come up trumps. Scouting the listings early October, I clocked Trove would be hosting an autumn supper club, and having never visited this highly recommended bread haven before, put it top of my festival have-to list.

Trove

Autumn Supperclub Menu

They’ve teamed up with Seasons Eatings – two highly talented lady chefs who met at uni and currently hail from the kitchens at Trove and Damson Heaton Moor – to bring the lovely people of Levenshulme and Manchester a monthly feast chock full of seasonal inspiration. This being only the second supper club to date, I’m glad I caught them early, as once word gets out about their affinity for classical flavour pairings, eloquently presented and delivered with a lightness of touch, it will be much harder to get a seat at the table. This is not your standard ‘supper club’ experience.

Roast Guinea Fowl, Celeriac, Apple. Chestnuts

Caramelised Fig, Goat’s Cheese Ice Cream, Chocolate

The two standout dishes were the guinea fowl main and chocolate dessert. Tender, earthy white meat topped with a crisp, salty skin and rich, breaded confit guinea fowl balls – masquerading as the menu-promised chestnuts which peppered the rest of the dish – were naturally paired with soft apple thins, parsnip crisps and smeared celeriac puree with a rich, gamey gravy. Perfectly pitched, plates naturally cleared quickly to make way for the caramelised fig, mild tang of goat’s cheese ice cream and salted chocolate ganache served with an elegant edible viola flower. It silenced the room.

Scallop, Radish, Seaweed, Citrus Granita

Marshmallow Tree

Edible herbs and flowers were a feature of the evening, with the scallop starter being served with an oyster flower, which upon eating overwhelmed all the other flavours (in an exciting, non-dish ruining kind of way). Thinly sliced, raw scallop topped with a sharp, sweet lemon granita, it was on occasion difficult to taste the freshness of the seafood, but the textures of the dish, along with the bursts of colour brought by the accompanying slices of radish, made for the most beautiful dish I’ve ever seen. More fun came in the form of apple floss and a coconut, gingerbread and vanilla marshmallow tree.

Otherwise renowned for the breakfasts, organic and florally adorned loaves and top notch pizzas, I’ll be back to try Trove’s day to day offering, though I have my eye on the Christmas do from Seasons Eating. It’ll give me something to look forward to now the festival’s all but gone… Although it’s not quite over yet though folks. Here are a few of the festival’s final hurrahs!

Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards (Monday 07 October)

Did you vote? The survey closed earlier this week, but this coming Monday night will see the glitzy gala dinner and awards ceremony take place at Manchester Town Hall. With the eagerly anticipated restaurant of year award to announce (The French are in the offing for the prize) and hotly contested newcomer prize being fought out between Solita, Luck Lust Liquor and Burn and Artisan (to name a few) it promises to be an interesting night. Keep your eye on the @MFDF13 Twitter feed for live updates.

The Whisky Festival (Saturday 12th October)

Should parting ways with the festival prove difficult, The Whisky Lounge is hosting their fifth annual Whisky Festival down at Bridgewater Hall. Last year, in the name of furthering my food and drink education, (cough), I doused myself in craft beer at Indy Man Beer Con, and now considerably more learned in the art of pint drinking, plan to humbly dedicate myself to the dram. With beginner’s workshops, expert master classes and tastings included within the price (£30 for a full day), the lesson starts here.

So, did you enjoy the festival? What were your highlights, and is there anything you’d like to see more or less of next year?

Another year, another Manchester Food and Drink Festival and all the gut busting tucker and inebriating boozy joy it brings. Unlike 2012, I won’t be covering the whole festival as the ‘official blogger’ – I have neither the stamina or dress size to spare – but will be pootling along to a few of the events over the course of the two weeks, keeping my (greedy sausage) fingers on the pulse and providing you with piping hot tips on what to wrap your chops around.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival Hub

Here’s a few of the highlights from the upcoming ongoing festival programme to look out for.*

Albert Square Festival Hub (Thursday 26 – Sunday 06 October)

Alright, alright, I’ve already been twice. Once on launch night, where I nibbled on wedges of freshly baked focaccia and sipped red wine from Bakerie, followed by a largely unexciting chicken tikka wrap from Zouk washed down with a marvellous tequila slushy from Apotheca. Both have set up shop alongside Robinson’s Brewery in the beer tent, making them ridiculously easy to locate.

Pulled Pork Tacos

The second time I hit the street food stands, I plumped for pulled pork tacos from Margo and Rita. Tiny, pretty little things, shockingly priced at £5, and a little too deconstructed and lacking in that big-hitting flavour you come to expect from Mexican food. The big purple van is cool though. The hot tip for the hub is to try out Mumma Schnitzel, who are only about until Tuesday 01 October, for intensely moreish chicken burgers.

Margo and Rita, Manchester

The street food vendors switch over on Wednesday 02 October, bringing a few more Manchester favourites in the shape of Fire and Slice Pizza and Levanter Fine Foods. It’s here that the likes of La Tasca and Chaopraya move on, who in taking space are using up the opportunity to showcase some of the city’s more creative and independent food outfits.

Bigger brands are a big feature of this year’s festival unfortunately, presumably in the name of making rent. The Famous Grouse has taken up the centre of the square to sample new product, Ginger Grouse, and Arm and Hammer are bizarrely handing out tubes of toothpaste?! Sorely missed are the quality producers from in and around the region, of which there is only a light smattering currently, but this should be rectified when Booths rock up Friday 04 October with their Indie Producers Fair.

Ginger Grouse

Much like super heroes, local chefs and food aficionados saved the day weekend through running a series of master classes; Mary-Ellen McTague of Great British Menu fame taught simple shellfish techniques, and the legendary Harry Yeung of Yang Sing did dumplings. Much more the thing.

The Liquor Market (Saturday 05 October)

Last year, I attended the Big Indie Wine Fair – back then it was ripe with cheese producers and fine food delis too – and whilst doing its thing again this coming Saturday 05 – Sunday 06 October, my money would be on the Liquor Market being this year’s big success. Hosted at the newly opened Rosylee Tea Rooms with Dave Marsland, the Drinks Enthusiast, guests get to sample a host of boutique spirits including G’Vine Gins and Excellia Tequila, all for just £7.

Sadly, I’m away for the weekend, luxuriating in the glorious beauty of the Lake District and eating ALL the bread and cheese in Cartmel, but were I not, I’d be hot-footing it round China Town with Manchester Confidential head honcho, Jonathon Scholfield, who’ll be taking tours groups around one of Manchester’s most distinctive areas, discussing the history and providing the opportunity to sample some of the food along the way.

Lauren Coulman

About

A twenty-odd year old marketing lady and greedy guts who believes the meal you eat is only as good as the company you’re keeping.

As a lover of most edible things (mainly cheese and anything containing suet) and the written word, penning a food blog seemed the perfect way to indulge both. It also provides a cracking excuse for me to get me together with the people I love and share good times, then broadcast them to anyone who cares to read about them.

Follow Lickerish Split

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.